Friday, July 25, 2008

WYD Memoirs: Wednesday 16th July 2008

On Wednesday morning Daniel (the other pilgrim staying) and I got ready and headed off to catch the bus from Drummoyne to Balmain. At my suggestion, rather than change buses to get to the church, we walked - a good 20 minutes, in good sunny tho' cool weather! Balmain looks a nice place, and certainly one wouldn't starve if one could afford the prices at the many eateries we passed!

My old parish priest, now Bishop of Lismore, was our catechist and celebrant this morning: His Lordship Bishop Jarrett.

He spoke well, and after the catechesis we all prepared for Mass of Our Lady of Mt Carmel. It was a great privilege to be chosen as a torchbearer, since it gave me a seat with an excellent view of proceedings (on the Epistle side) without having to do much except kneel and hold a torch from the Sanctus until the Ablutions. His Lordship preached on the many interventions of Our Lady in history, whether to give the Scapular to St Simon Stock, or to otherwise manifest her maternal care for all God's children in more recent times.

(In this photograph I am the server sitting closest to the altar behind the clergy in choir. The sacred ministers are wearing the vestments made for Fr Rowe's first Mass.)

Communion took a long time, and I took the opportunity to say a very quiet Rosary, counting on my fingers. The chant at Mass was very good, and the polyphonic motets also - I recognized Victoria's Ave Maria at the Offertory.

After Pontifical Mass, Fr Rowe wanted to say a Low Mass, so I served his as well.

Then came a BBQ lunch (two sausages and sauce in a bread roll, plus some chips - 'crisps', not 'fries', for any international readers! - and a can of soft drink). That proved insufficient, the drink, I mean, so I joined my old pals John, Tony, &c. at the pub on the corner for two pints of some good beer.

The liquid lunch made me late for the Gregorian Chant workshop with the inestimable and very dapper Scott Turkington, but I got a lot out of it: it's great to be taught by someone who knows so much and is able to impart his knowledge kindly and effortlessly.

After that, more chant! We all had to practice for Vespers.

His Eminence George Cardinal Pell arrived, at 4pm, in choir dress (sans cappa, alas), and was met at the door by the clergy, who then escorted him to his throne, while the choir sang a magnificent Ecce sacerdos magnus. A large part of Pontifical Vespers involves dressing and redressing the celebrant: as the choir sang, H.E. was vested for the service. Vespers ensued: it was a Votive Vespers of Our Lady of Mt Carmel, and sung very well, IMHO. His Eminence preached after Vespers, congratulating us on the occasion, and promising to tell His Holiness, with whom he was to dine, about our love for the Traditional Liturgy and our loyalty to the Pope. After sermon, he gave Pontifical Benediction, which was sublime, and included at its end the roof-liftingly loud singing by one and all of the Laudes Regiæ. As the Cardinal departed the church, we all knelt in waves to receive his blessing as he passed, then we all filed out to genuflect on the left knee and kiss his ring. Magnificent! Two hours had passed sublimely.

After these proceedings, I ventured back into church at the sound of a bell, to find that the French pilgrims were about to have Low Mass. This I attended; and just after the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, a second priest and server came out to the Sacred Heart altar - it transpired that it was the Mass of a newly ordained American priest, celebrating a Novus Ordo 'without congregation', ad orientem (tho' in English, sotto voce so as not to disturb the other priest at the high altar).

Alas, the evening pilgrim meal was only available in the city, so we had to make do, after all the liturgical wonders, with a poor meal of cold leftover sausages and bread rolls.

I could not describe the look on the faces of the French pilgrims as they realized the full horror of what little food awaited them for dinner: it must have confirmed all their fears about cuisine des Anglo-Saxonnes.

One last event - 20 decades of the Rosary, kneeling, in Latin, with Cardinal George of Chicago... Now it was great, but rather tiring I must admit. Attendance was a good deal sparser, and I suspect many were put off by having to say 200 Hail Mary's instead of just the usual 50.

Through the prayers of St Patrick, Thy Bishop and Confessor, we entreat Thy Divine Majesty, that Thou permit us to worship and adore Thee according to the Traditional Latin Rite of the Holy Roman Church, at least on all Sundays and Holy Days:

May this clean oblation be acceptable unto Thee, O Lord of hosts, which, through the labours of blessed Patrick, from the rising to the setting of the sun, shall be offered unto Thy great Name among the nations, as Thou hast willed. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Let us pray for Francis our Pope. R/. The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

(Let us pray for Julian our Bishop. R/. May he stand and shepherd in Thy strength, O Lord, in the sublimity of Thy name.)

OUR LADY OF COLEBROOK

We fly to thy patronage, O Holy Mother of God: despise not our petitions in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

St Mary of the Cross

St Mary, pray for Australia and Australian Catholics; obtain for us deliverance from the unjust actions of bishops and priests; intercede for us that we may for now bear these trials as our apportioned cross, and at length overcome by patience and fidelity, as you did while on earth; now in heaven, be our advocate by your holy merits and glorious suffrages.

Il Papa che parla...

As for the use of the 1962 Missal as a Formaextraordinaria of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this Missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted.

… it has clearly been demonstrated that young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them.

What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.

PRAYER FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF MATTEO RICCI, S.J. (1552-1610)

Eternal Father, Who didst send Thine Only-begotten Son into this world to redeem mankind, kindly hear our humble prayer, and grant the favour we ask at the intercession of the Servant of God Father Matteo Ricci, an outstanding preacher of the Gospel by Thy providential plan, one of the first to harvest the field made sacred by Saint Francis Xavier; who, as soon as he became a missionary in China, spread far and wide the teaching of Christ, and wisely guided countless souls along the road to salvation and sanctity; may it please Thee, therefore, to glorify him on earth, as we believe he is glorified in heaven, and to add his name to the list of the Blesseds and Saints; for his elevation to the honours of the altar would give greater glory to Thee and to Thy Church, and greater edification to the Chinese Christians who so courageously live their faith and their charity. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the Intercession of G. K. Chesterton

God our Father, Thou didst fill the life of Thy servant Gilbert Keith Chesterton with a sense of wonder and joy, and gave him a faith which was the foundation of his ceaseless work, a hope which sprang from his enduring gratitude for the gift of human life, and a charity towards all men, particularly his opponents. May his innocence and his laughter, his constancy in fighting for the Christian faith in a world losing belief, his lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his love for all men, especially for the poor, bring cheerfulness to those in despair, conviction and warmth to lukewarm believers, and the knowledge of Thee to those without faith. We beg Thee to grant the favours we ask through his intercession, [and especially for …,] so that his holiness may be recognized by all, and the Church may proclaim him Blessed. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

TROPARION & KONTAKION OF ST JOSHUA MY PATRON

Chosen by Moses to lead the people of God into the promised land, * you led them through the waters of the Jordan. * Thus, by your actions as well as by your name * you foreshadow the saviour, who leads us through the waters of baptism. * O holy prophet, Joshua, * beg him now to save our souls.

PRAY FOR THE REUNION OF ANGLICANS WITH THE SEE OF ROME

V/. Pray for them, O Holy Mother of God.

R/. That they may be one in the Church of thy Son.

The Collect for the Anglican Use

O HOLY Ghost the Lord, who on Pentecost gavest the Church the gift of tongues that Christ might be known, loved and served by peoples of divers nations and customs: watch over the Anglican heritage within thy Church, we pray thee, that, led by thy guidance and strengthened by thy grace, that Use may find such favor in thy sight that its people may increase both in holiness and number, and so show forth thy glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Son, one God world without end. Amen.

the extraordinary form of the roman rite in perth, western australia

The Traditional Latin Mass is celebrated daily at St Anne's, Perth, Western Australia, by Fr Michael Rowe, official Latin Mass Chaplain of the Archdiocese of Perth. Sunday Masses are at 7.30am (Low), 9.15am (Missa Cantata) and 11.15am (Low). Confessions are heard before all Sunday and weekday Masses, and afterwards if need be. Weekly programme includes sung Mass on feast days, Holy Hours with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and the Holy Rosary before all Masses. Fr Rowe also travels to Bunbury once a month to supply the Traditional Mass in that diocese. For more information please contact Fr Rowe on (08) 9444 9604.